I prefer absurdism—it's like nihilism but with a sense of humour.

That's the overall mood I tried to convey with this piece: we take happiness too seriously. When I delved into utilitarianism, it seemed to be the kind of well-intended, but ultimately hopeless guidance you can get from a flight attendant's safety instructions. They sound useful, but if the plane goes down, pretty much everyone's fucked.

And like you say, this should not be a source of depression. In fact, if we embrace the meaninglessness of life with a can-do attitude, then the responsibility is ours to fill life with the meaning we crave.

Perhaps by making 5 friends.

Thank you lots for your comment Lawrence.